4 Ways to Avoid Paying $119 for Amazon Prime Free Shipping

By
PCMag StaffJune 14, 2018, 4 p.m.

If you're looking for ways to pay less than $99 for Amazon Prime, there are options.

In 2014, Amazon Prime got a price hike from $79 to $99 per year. It was the first for Amazon Prime in the program's nine-year history, and the online retail giant said the increase was necessary to offset the fuel and transportation costs needed to deliver millions of items in two days, for free.

Prime is free to join for 30 days, so you can try it without making that year-long commitment. Sign up at the holidays to get free shipping on your gift purchases and then cancel, for example. There's also the option to sign up for Prime for $12.99 per month, though if you plan to use it for any length of time, the $119 annual fee is a better deal.

1. Join Amazon Student

Those who sign up get a six-month trial that includes free, two-day shipping on Prime items, as well as access to Prime Video, Prime Photos, Twitch Prime, and Student-specific deals and exclusives. Once the six-month trial is up, you pay $49 per year or $6.48 per month for four years or until you graduate, whatever comes first. To qualify as a student, you'll need a .edu email adress.

2. Spend $25 or More

If free shipping is your game, Amazon offers free shipping on orders of $25 or more. With millions of items, it's not hard to rack up enough items to hit the $25 mark, which is well below the average free shipping requirement online. Worst case, buy something to get the free shipping and simply return it upon arrival. If you're just shy of $25, select a cheap, add-on item.

3. Get a Subscribe & Save Membership

Shoppers who tend to buy the same things should look into a Subscribe & Save Membership. Although it does not cover everything on the site, members can save up to 15 percent on orders and receive free shipping on every Subscribe & Save order. Members must select eligible items, and choose a delivery schedule to subscribe. While it's not as expansive as an Amazon Prime membership, it is convenient and worth a look.

4. Get a Credit Card with Prime as a Perk

Credit card companies such as American Express often offer Amazon Prime as a free perk for new members. Be sure to read the fine print for spending minimums, however.

Alternatively, you can always find other ways to get free shipping on the web. FreeShipping.org has a continually updated database of thousands of free shipping coupon codes for a massive number of online stores. Browser add-ons such as PriceBlink.com, Coupons at Checkout, InvisibleHand and Honey will find coupon codes and discounts, many for free shipping, at thousands of online stores.